Tangning didn't expect for this to happen. But, as long as her brother wasn't being bullied, nothing else mattered to her.
For some reason, Tangning felt like she could trust Xu Qingyan. She felt like she would be the key to protecting Tang Jingxuan, like a protective fortress.
Perhaps it was because they had gone to school together, even after leaving Hyatt Regency, Xu Qingyan and Tang Jingxuan found themselves still deep in conversation. In fact, they exchanged contact details and Tang Jingxuan even offered to escort Xu Qingyan home.
"It's fine, my home isn't that far. Plus, I drove myself over here anyway."
"You are helping me with a huge favor tomorrow. It's only right for me to take you home today."
Xu Qingyan wasn't an overly cautious person. So, she couldn't see any reason to reject Tang Jingxuan's sincerity as she boarded his sports car. However, for a short moment, Tang Jingxuan was suddenly reminded of the woman that used to sit beside him: Song Yanshu.
"What's wrong?" Xu Qingyan asked sensitively.
"Nothing," Tang Jingxuan immediately snapped out of his daze.
"You're not thinking about 'that' woman, are you?" Xu Qingyan saw through Tang Jingxuan immediately, but felt she may have been a little impolite, so she placed her hands under her chin and pulled an ugly face, "Is she as pretty as me?"
Tang Jingxuan let out a laugh, "You are still the same as before."
"To be honest, I prefer wearing jeans and gym clothes, but in recent years, I've had no choice but to act feminine." After speaking, Xu Qingyan tore a split down the middle of her dress and tied the corners together to create a pair of makeshift pants, "This feels a lot better."
A smile remained on Tang Jingxuan's face, especially after he saw Xu Qingyan's relaxed attitude. Meeting a person in life that one felt comfortable around, was a difficult task.
"The car's starting. Sit tight."
It didn't take long before the two arrived outside the Xu Household. After thanking Tang Jingxuan, Xu Qingyan opened the car door and stepped out. They had agreed on a meeting time the next day, so they had no reason to linger. However, just as Tang Jingxuan started driving away, he noticed that Xu Qingyan had left her handbag in the car.
It had been a long time since Xu Qingyan had acted in such a carefree manner. But, she never expected, as she arrived home, she would run into Father Xu and Ye Lan. As soon as Father Xu spotted her torn dress, his expression immediately darkened, "Who allowed you to dress like a rebel? Xu Qingyan, don't you know that you're an heiress? How could you walk around like a club escort? Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?"
Xu Qingyan's face turned pale before she looked behind Father Xu at Ye Lan. Needless to say, her every move must have been revealed by this sly woman.
"Do you still hold any regard for the family rules?" Father Xu grabbed onto Xu Qingyan's arms and shook her violently.
"It hurts..." Xu Qingyan cried as her gaze sharpened. "Apart from treating me with violence, what else can you do?"
"How dare you talk back at me..."
This was not a scene that Tang Jingxuan had expected to witness after entering the Xu Household. He couldn't believe that Father Xu completely disregarded his daughter's feelings and treated her with violence. In fact, he deliberately hit her in places that weren't normally exposed. No wonder when they were in the car, Xu Qingyan repeatedly massaged her hip.
Tang Jingxuan originally wanted to rush in and put an end to the scene that was playing out. But, seeing Xu Qingyan's unafraid expression, he froze in the doorway.
He knew that Xu Qingyan wanted to remain strong; there was no way that she'd want an outsider to see her current state. So, he decided not to walk in. Of course, this was only after he confirmed that Father Xu had stopped acting violently.
Perhaps it was because he was born into the Tang Family, he had never been exposed to domestic violence like this.
So, when he saw the cruel expression on Father Xu's face, he couldn't believe that he was treating his own daughter in such a way.
That night, after returning home, Tang Jingxuan thought about the look on Xu Qingyan's face as she endured the violence from her father. He immediately pulled out his phone and called Xu Qingyan, "Little Monkey, don't worry about coming tomorrow."
"Why? I've already picked my outfit," Xu Qingyan responded.
Idiot, aren't you in pain? he thought to himself.
"Uh..."
"If you're a man, then come pick me up tomorrow...Do you know how arrogantly the mistress in my home has been acting?" Ye Lan had ridiculed Xu Qingyan multiple times in the past about not being able to find a man. And Xu Qingyan indeed had her faults. Whenever she dated a man, their relationship would not last long. So, she had gotten used to being on her own. But, that didn't mean that she wasn't effected by Ye Lan's words.
In reality, Tang Jingxuan already knew that Xu Qingyan had a tough exterior but soft interior; she was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
As he thought about Ye Lan's expression when humiliating Xu Qingyan, Tang Jingxuan did not say another word. Holding tightly to the phone, a smile gradually appeared on his face.
He knew better than anyone, how it felt to have a poisonous snake lurking at home. Even though Tang Xuan had already been taught a lesson by Tangning...
Luckily, the Tang Family had Tangning...
But, who did the Xu Family have? All they had was a father that bullied his own daughter.
To help his old classmate get revenge, Tang Jingxuan woke up nice and early. Dressed in a dark blue retro handmade suit, covered by a dark green coat, he picked out the blue Maybach from his garage that he barely used. Most importantly, on the way to pick up Xu Qingyan, Tang Jingxuan bought a bouquet of elegant champagne-colored roses.
8am, Tang Jingxuan arrived outside the Xu Household. The person to open the door was Ye Lan. Upon seeing Tang Jingxuan, she gasped in surprise, "Luo Xing?"
"Sorry, may I ask where Miss Xu is? I'm here to pick her up..."
Seeing that Tang Jingxuan was handsome and noble, Ye Lan couldn't help but scan her eyes over him a few times. After all, she was still fairly young and it was only normal to be attracted to good looking things.
"She's not here..."
"But, I called her earlier and she said she's at home," Tang Jingxuan immediately uncovered Ye Lan's lie.
"In that case, come in. I'll go fetch her."
"No need..." Xu Qingyan's voice echoed from behind the two people. "We will now make our leave, mom."
In that moment, Ye Lan's face turned frighteningly red because of the way that Xu Qingyan called her 'mom'.
More importantly, Ye Lan's heart was filled with envy. How could Xu Qingyan find such a young and handsome man, while she got stuck with an old man.
"So...she's your father's second wife..." Tang Jingxuan looked at Ye Lan in an amused manner, not showing her any face at all. "A woman like this is indeed only befitting of being a second wife. After all, a normal man wouldn't have such bad taste."
"Let's go, we should stop wasting our time," Xu Qingyan walked right past Ye Lan and approached Tang Jingxuan's side.
Tang Jingxuan reached out his arm and hooked it around Xu Qingyan's waist as they turned to leave, "Sweetie, let me open the door for you."